--- title: "US lost 45 Reaper drones in Iran war, costing over $1.3bn" publication: "MediaBias News" url: "https://mediabias.news/conflict/us-lost-45-reaper-drones-in-iran-war-costing-over-13bn" api: "https://mediabias.news/api/v1/stories/us-lost-45-reaper-drones-in-iran-war-costing-over-13bn" markdown: "https://mediabias.news/conflict/us-lost-45-reaper-drones-in-iran-war-costing-over-13bn.md" audio: "https://mediabias.news/api/audio/us-lost-45-reaper-drones-in-iran-war-costing-over-13bn" category: "Conflict & Security" area: "Middle East" published: "2026-08-13T19:46:25.221Z" source_reported: "2026-08-13T19:02:33.037Z" updated: "2026-08-13T19:46:25.221Z" trust_score: 50 critic_score: 55 hype_score: 30 assessment_type: "coverage-and-source-reporting-analysis" fact_check_status: "not-performed" coverage_measured: "2026-08-13T19:30:15.145696+00:00" --- # US lost 45 Reaper drones in Iran war, costing over $1.3bn *Washington Post report cites officials on losses of slow, low-flying surveillance aircraft around the Strait of Hormuz* **Scores for the source reporting** (0-100, assessing the original journalism this article was written from, not this write-up): - Trust 50 of 100, higher is better. Central claim rests on anonymous sourcing alone in all digests. - Craft 55 of 100, higher is better. No affected parties or officials quoted in digests. - Hype 30 of 100, lower is better. Headlines overstate certainty of losses. Scored by MediaBias News; method at https://mediabias.news/methodology. **The short version** - The US military lost at least 45 MQ-9 Reaper drones during its war with Iran, according to a Washington Post report citing three officials. - The losses represent roughly 25% of the combined Air Force and Marine Corps fleet before the war began, with a potential cost exceeding $1.3bn. - The drones, used for surveillance and strikes, are described as relatively easy targets for Iran and its proxies due to their slow speed and low-altitude flights. - No centre-rated outlet reported the story, leaving a gap in coverage from that segment of the media. The US military has lost at least 45 MQ-9 Reaper drones during its war with Iran. The Washington Post reported the figure on 13 August 2026, citing three unnamed officials. The losses represent roughly 25% of the combined Air Force and Marine Corps fleet before the war began. The Air Force had about 165 Reapers and the Marine Corps 20, according to public budget data and service records. The MQ-9 Reaper is used for surveillance and targeted strikes. Each drone costs between $30 million and $50 million, depending on its equipment. The Washington Post estimated the potential cost of the lost drones at more than $1.3bn. The drones have been heavily used around the Strait of Hormuz but are described as relatively easy targets for Iran and its proxies because they fly slowly and often at low altitudes. Not all of the drones were shot down. One official told the Washington Post that an unspecified number crashed after operators lost communications links. Air Force Lt. Gen. David Tabor told the Senate in May 2026 that the number of Reapers had fallen to about 135. ## What the coverage left out No centre-rated outlet ran the story. None of the right-rated digests mentioned that an unspecified number of drones crashed after operators lost communications links, a detail included in the Washington Post’s report and Anadolu Ajansı’s full article. ## Who covered it Shares of the 6 covering outlets with a published leaning rating: - Left: 17% (1) - Centre: 0% (0) - Right: 83% (5) 4 of 10 covering outlets carried no usable leaning rating and were excluded from those percentages. Coverage measured 2026-08-13T19:30:15.145696+00:00. **Coverage watch:** developing. Checked 1 time; 0 checks found a material change. Most recently checked 2026-08-13T20:00:22.569Z. ## How the sides framed it ### Left - The Washington Post led its report with the number of drones lost and the potential cost, which it put at more than $1.3bn. It included the detail that not all drones were shot down, with some crashing after communications links were lost. The report also quoted Air Force Lt. Gen. David Tabor’s testimony to the Senate in May 2026 on the reduced fleet size. ### Centre No separate framing summary. ### Right - The five right-rated digests all carried the number of drones lost and the potential cost of the losses. Anadolu Ajansı, the only right-rated outlet to publish a full report, led with the 25% fleet loss figure and included the detail that the drones are relatively easy targets for Iran and its proxies. It also noted that the Air Force fleet had fallen to about 135 by May 2026, according to Lt. Gen. Tabor’s Senate testimony. - The digests from ussanews.com, India Today, Korrespondent.net and Al Arabiya all mentioned the $1.3bn cost estimate. India Today’s digest added that the losses had added pressure on US weapons stocks and replenishment plans. None of the right-rated digests mentioned that some drones crashed after communications links were lost. ## Factuality profile of the covering outlets These are published factuality ratings of the outlets, not a verdict on whether this story or its claims are true. - low: 1 - mixed: 3 - high: 2 - unknown: 4 ## Verification scope This page compares coverage and scores the source reporting. It is not a ClaimReview verdict on whether the underlying event or claim is true. ## Original reporting this was written from - [ussanews.com](https://ussanews.com/2026/08/13/us-lost-quarter-of-its-reaper-drones-in-iran-war-wapo) — US lost quarter of its Reaper drones in Iran war – WaPo - [Aletho News](https://alethonews.com/2026/08/13/us-military-loses-roughly-25-of-reaper-drone-fleet-in-iran-war-report) — US military loses roughly 25% of Reaper drone fleet in Iran war: Report - [India Today](https://indiatoday.in/world/story/us-loses-one-fourth-mq-9-reaper-drones-near-strait-of-hormuz-in-iran-war-2970823-2026-08-14) — US loses one-fourth of drone fleet as Iran war drains its arsenal: Report - [Korrespondent.net](https://korrespondent.net/world/4902712-ssha-poterialy-bespylotnykov-Reaper-v-voine-s-yranom) — The US Lost Reaper Drones in the War with Iran - [Al Arabiya](https://english.alarabiya.net/News/middle-east/2026/08/13/us-military-has-lost-at-least-45-mq9-reaper-drones-during-iran-war-report) — US military has lost at least 45 MQ-9 Reaper drones during Iran war: Report - [Akşam](https://aksam.com.tr/dunya/muhimmat-krizi-basina-sizdi-abd-ordusunda-mq-9-filosu-eriyor/haber-1690455) — Ammunition Crisis Leaked to the Press: US Military's MQ-9 Fleet Is Dwindling. - [Haberler](https://haberler.com/guncel/washington-post-abd-iran-ile-savasta-mq-9-reaper-20143188-haberi) — The US Lost 25% of Its MQ-9 Reaper Drones in the War with Iran. - [BizToc](https://biztoc.com/x/3ef8d13131c3eb85) — US said to lose 25% of Reaper drones in Iran war - [Anadolu Ajansı](https://aa.com.tr/en/americas/us-military-loses-roughly-25-of-reaper-drone-fleet-in-iran-war-report/4026663) — US military loses roughly 25% of Reaper drone fleet in Iran war: Report - [The Washington Post](https://washingtonpost.com/national-security/2026/08/13/us-military-has-lost-roughly-25-its-reaper-drones-iran-war-depletes-arsenal) — U.S. military has lost roughly 25% of its Reaper drones as Iran war depletes arsenal ## Questions **How many Reaper drones has the US lost in the war with Iran?** The US military has lost at least 45 MQ-9 Reaper drones during its war with Iran, according to a Washington Post report citing three officials. This represents roughly 25% of the combined Air Force and Marine Corps fleet before the war began. **What is the estimated cost of the lost Reaper drones?** The potential cost of the lost MQ-9 Reaper drones exceeds $1.3bn, as reported by the Washington Post. Each drone costs between $30 million and $50 million, depending on its equipment. **Why are Reaper drones considered easy targets for Iran?** Reaper drones are described as relatively easy targets for Iran and its proxies because they fly slowly and often at low altitudes, according to the Washington Post. This makes them vulnerable to air defences. **Which outlets reported the drone losses?** The story was reported by one left-rated outlet, the Washington Post, and five right-rated outlets: Anadolu Ajansı, ussanews.com, India Today, Korrespondent.net and Al Arabiya. No centre-rated outlet covered it. --- MediaBias News — https://mediabias.news. Reproduced from https://mediabias.news/conflict/us-lost-45-reaper-drones-in-iran-war-costing-over-13bn. Please cite as: MediaBias News, "US lost 45 Reaper drones in Iran war, costing over $1.3bn", https://mediabias.news/conflict/us-lost-45-reaper-drones-in-iran-war-costing-over-13bn